Vmaghine for cutting si-iingles



HART, OF CI-IAGRIN FALLS, OHIO.

v.'LlUtCIINF FOR CUTTING SHINGLES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,782, dated September 17, 1842.

To all 107mm it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER I'I. HART, ofChagrin Falls, Cuyahoga county, and State of Ohio, have invented a newand useful Machine for Making Shingles; and I do and about 2 feet apartoccupy the front part of the machine, and within these the sash playsthat carries the knife. They are connected at the top by a piece oftimber of the same size into which they are framed, (2, Pl. 1.) About 16inches back of these, are 2 shorter posts about 25 inches high fromshoulder to shoulder as shown at 3, 3, Pl. 1. These 4 posts are framedinto 2 sills which run from the high to the short posts, and on thesesills the whole machine rests. They are seen at 4, 4, Pl. 1. They alsoextend out in front of the high posts far enough to admit a cross sillto rest on the ends. The crosssillmay be seen at 5, plate 1, extendingtransversely from one sill to the other in front of the foot of the highposts. It is boxed a little way into the posts, while the sills areboxed a little way into it. It reaches tothe right of the right handpost about 1 foot. The short posts are connected at the bottom by agirt, which I shall call the bottom girt (6, Pl. 1.) This bottom girt isconnected with the cross sill by another piece extending from the middleof one to the middle of the other and framed into them. This I shallcall the middle bottom piece. It is represented at 7, Plate 1. The shortposts at the top are connected with the high posts at the same height,by girts, one of which may be seen at S, Pl. 1. On the top of the shortposts is framed aplate seen at 9, Pl. 1. Just back of the high postsboxed a little way into them, and just above the 2 girt-s, so that itrests on them, is a beam so wide up and down that the top of it shall beabout 1 inch higher than the top of the plate 9. This beam is shown at10 Pl. 1. The sash plays in front of this, and the knife at the lowestdepression of the sash comes a litt-le down in front of it, so as toclear the shingles from the block.

The sash is composed of 4 pieces framed together in form nearly square.The side pieces are seen at 11, 11. The top piece at 12, and the bottompin at 13, Plate 1. The top piece is cut beveling from the middle of thefront side to t-he lower edge of the back side, and' the lower edgeslopes downward from the left to the right, as does also the edge of theknife. The knife is made of a thin steel plate, is bolted firmly at theends` to the inside surface of t-he side pieces of the sash, and theedge comes about??? inches below the top piece of the sash. The knifesets the whole thickness of it into the sash.

Then the shingle when cut is borne awayat y the right and' left. Thelever is attached to the upper end of thebar by a pin,I forming a jointthere also. This bar, or fulcrum is shown at 16 Plate 1. The lever isattached to the middle of the bottom piece of the sash as follows:` Asmall iron is fastened to the front face of the bottom piece at themiddle, extending from the top a little below the bottom, and throughthe lower end of this giron passes a bolt that fastens the lever, a nutbeing screwed on the forward end of this bolt and the other end of itheld by a ,staple driven into the under side of the bottom piece ofthesash. The iron at the top is fastened to the bottom piece of the sash bya bolt that runs through the bottom piece and holds a stirrup on theother side to be .hereafterdescribed The iron to which the lever isattached may be seen at 17 Pl. 1; the

bolt that fastens the lever to it, and the nut on the end of this boltat 18 Pl. 1, and the bolt that confines the iron and the stirrup at 40P1. 1. The sash may be kept in its place by pins driven into the postsfor this purpose as at 41, 41, 41, 41, Pl. 1, or in any other way thatbest suits themaker.

The table for the block to `rest o-n to be cut, is constructed thus.Take a board, l?,

in. thick, mort-isc one end into the back of the beam, the upper surfacecoinciding with the upper surface of the beam, the other end of theboard lying over on the plate, screwed onto it, and the plate beingboxed about l8- of an inch into the board. This board must be 114 incheswide. 0n the sides of the board, 12,- inches from it are two strips, (orside pieces,) of the same thickness, and length as the board andfastened to the beam and plate in the same manner as the board. Theboard is represented at 19, pl. 1, and the side strip at andthe sidestrips; the sides being 1 in.

thick, rabbeted on the upper edges leaving the lower edges to fitgrooves made for the purpose in the board and side strips, and makingthe upper surface of the slides coincide with that of the board and sidestrips. See the slides at 21, 21, pl. 1. On the bottom of each slide isscrewed a rack, of the same length as the slide, the teeth of which runobliquely across it, those on the left rack inclining backward from theright Ato the left edge of the rack, and those on the right hand rackinclining backward from the left to the right edge of the rack. Theteeth on each rack, are pointed on the ends that are directed toward theother rack, in manner as represented at plate 4:, where the 2 racks maybe seen in the position which they occupy in respect to each other. Aside view of one of the racks is seen at pl. 3. The center of the slidesare just 13 inches apart, being directly over the center of the twoscrew wheels that move them. A headblock is attached to these slideslying a little way over the forward end of them, and extending in lengtha litt-le beyond the outer edge of the side strips. It may be seen at22, pl. 1. It is fastened to the slides by means of 2 irons in the shapeof an L, or carpenters square, the 2 arms being of equal length, (pl.6,), one arm being riveted firmly to the side on the top, and the otherextending toward the end of the head block and screwed to the under sideof it by a single screw for each L, the screw being near the end, and 2holes being left, so that by moving the screw from o-ne hole to theother, z'. e.,to a greater or less distance from the end of the L, moreor less difference may be made in the thickness of the 2 ends of theshingles. The Ls turn on the screws so that the head-block may turnwithout cramping t-he sides. The Ls are sunk into t-he head block thethickness of them.

In the front of the head-block, near one end, is a stationary dog, whichholds one end of the shingle block; near the other end a movable dogpasses through a mortise from the front to the back side of theheadblock running back about 6 inches and turns upon a pin that passesdown through it; the mortise being made suiiiciently long for the dog toturn to the right and left. Vhen this dog is driven into the shingleblock, it is held in its place by a catch, screwed on the back side ofthe head block, having notches on the under side, so that by turning itover onto the dog, the notches catching onto it hold it in its place.The stationary dog is seen in front of the head-block at 23, the movableone at 24, and the catch at 25, pl. 1. There is a pin in the top of eachside strip of the table, just over the forward edge of the plate, tostop the carriage when it is moved backward. One of these seen at 39,pl. 1.

For moving the carriage forward, two cast iron screw-wheels areemployed, each 12 inches in diameter, including the threads on the edge,a rim, of which there are 6 on each wheel; the threads running obliquelyacross the rim, commencing, on the right wheel, at the inner face of thewheel, and running to-ward the right terminate at the outer or backface; and, on the left wheel, commencing at the inner face, and runningtoward the left, terminate at the outer face. The threads are squarethreads about of an in. in size pointed at the ends, each oneterminating just after the neXt commences. The object of pointing theteeth of the rack and the threads of the wheels is that they may notcatch against each other when the wheels are thrown into gear while inmotion. Around the inner, or front face of the wheels, near the edge isa rim, in which teeth are made, somewhat resembling the teeth of a saw,the square edge, turning downward on the left of the right wheel, andcontrariwise on-the other wheel. Both wheels are shown at 26, 26, pl. 1,and both at 1, 1, pl. 2, as well as a back view of both as placed in theperpendicular carriage at 1 i, 1. 7. Y

Foii the purpose of ungearing the wheels, or lowering them away from theracks, they are attached to the perpendicular carriage just mentioned,the construction of which-is as follows: A top piece lies just forwardof the plate that rests on the top of the short posts. It liestransversely across the girts extending each way a little beyond them.Into the under side of this top piece, just within the girts are framed2 end pieces, and a bottom piece joins the two lower ends of these.Then, between theseend pieces, are two` posts, joining the top andbottom pieces. The centers of these posts are just 13 inches apart, andthe shafts of the screw wheels pass through the middle of these posts,so that the wheels turn directly in frontof this perpendicular carriage.From the center of the bottom piece, passes downward through a hole madefor the purpose in the back end of the middle bot-tom piece of themachine, a post, so

that it works up and down in this hole.`

Then, to move this carriage, a lever is at.- tached to it, the fulcrumend being fastened by a pin on which it turns, to a short post risingfromthe bottom girt, a little one side of the middle. A pin then unitesit to the last described post, which the other end works up and down ina long mo-rtise cut in the side of one of the short posts at the bottom,or, just about the bottom girt. A steel springhas one end screwed on thetop `of the bottom girt, directly at the middle, and curving aroundupward, at the other end holds the end of the lever up near the top ofthe mortise. 1When the upper carriage is to be drawn back for thereception of a new block, ungear the wheels, by pressing down with thefoot upon the end of the lever. The top piece of the perpendicularcarriage is seen at 27, pl. 1, and 2, pl. 7. One of the end pieces at 28pl. 1, and both at 3, 3, pl. 7, the bottom piece' at 29, pl. 1, and 4,pl. 7, and the 2 posts in which the wheels are placed, at 5, 5, pl. 7.The post to which the lever is attached at 7, pl. 7 ,the lever at 31,and the spring at 32 pl. 1.

The wheels are turned by means of two dogs which work alternatelyupward; the right hand one striking the teeth of the right wheel turnsit upward toward the right; then the left hand one striking the teeth ofthe left wheel, turns that upward toward the left. The dogs arerepresented at 2, 2, pl. 2. They are of cast iron, sharpened nearly toan edge at the upper end and bending a little backward so as readily tostrike into the teeth of the wheels. They are so placed as to strike thewheels upward, on the sides that are turned toward each other. The lowerends of the dogs are united to `two cast iron levers, each about 8.1;inches long, lying nearly horizontally, though inclining a littledownward on the back end when they are united to the dogs, by rivets soas to turn freely on them. The levers are sho-wn at 33, 33 pl. 1, and at3, 3 pl. 2. They are supported at the fulcrum in the middle by an in.pin, which runs through them both, and contines them to two irons,shaped like a T, one fast-ened on the right, and the other on the leftof a wooden pillar, one foot high, which sets into the middle bottompiece, a little back of the center. The bottom part of the T is rivetedfirmly to the pillar, while the top part rises above the pillar, thelevers being on the inside, and setting each into a notch cut in th-etop part of the pillar for the purpose. The T has several holes lyingalong the length of the top part, in a horizontal line; the holes beingalso made through the lever so that the pin may be moved from one toanother, thus varying the place of the fulcrum; and, by this means,varying the thickness of the shingles.

The pillar is represented at 34 pl. l., and at fl, pl. 2. The Ts at 35,pl; 1, and at 5, pl. 2; and the pin at 36, pl. 1. The levers are movedby a wheel that 1 shall call the tooth wheel; of cast iron, in. thick,and 5 in. in diameter, including teeth which are about inch. There are 6teeth, at equal distances apart, running square across the edge or rimof the wheel.

The teeth in shape somewhat resemble saw-teeth, being square down towardthe center ofthe wheel on one side, and slantwise on the other. Thiswheel is in such p0- sitio-n that the edge of it moves between theforward ends of the cast-iron levers, these ends inclining toward eachother, so as just to touch the sides of the wheel. On the sides of thewheel near the edge, are 6 pins, 3 on each side, directly against theteeth, so adjusted that the three on one side stand one against everyother tooth, and the three on the other side against the intermediateteeth. Being thus arranged, at one elevation of the main lever, by whichthe machine is worked, a pin on one side strikes one of the cast ironlevers and at the neXt elevation, a pin on the other side strikes theother lever, and as the wheel turns the end of the lever slips down pastthe pin. The shaft of this tooth wheel is set in 2 standards, one oneach side of the wheel, which are mortised int-o the middle bottompiece. The tooth-wheel may be seen at 37 pl. 1, and at 6 pl. 2. Thestandards at 38, 3S, pl. 1, and 7, 7, plate 2.

To turn the tooth wheel a stirrup is fastened to the bottom piece of thesash, on the inside at the middle, setting a little into it andextending a little below it, having a foot, or dog, fastened to thebottom part, by a rivet on which it turns upward, but being square atthe lower corner so as not to turn downward below a horizontal position.This foot comes to an edge at the toe, slanting thence to the heel onthe under side. The stirrup is conlined by the same bolt that fastensthe iron o-n the front side of the sash to which the lever is attached.The stirrup can be raised or lowered at pleasure, as may be necessary. Aside view of the stirrup may be seen at 1, pl. 5, the foot at 2, and thebolt at 3, pl. 5, all nearly in the position which they occupy inreference to the tooth wheel at 6, pl. 2. Now, when the sash is raisedby the main lever, the toe of this foot strikesV one of the teeth of thetoothwheel and turns the wheel backward. Then, when the lever isdepressed, the foot by turning upward on the rivet, passes down belowthe next tooth, and so on. This motion of the tooth wheel communicates amotion alternately to the two metallic levers which are connected withthe dogs that move the screw wheels, and thus the carriage that carriesforward the shingle block is borne forward, first shoving one end of theblock the farthest and then the other, alternately.

ThisV takes the thickest end of the shingle rst from one end of theblock and then from the other and so on.

As soon as one of the metallic levers has passed the pin that moves it,it is instantly drawn back to its former position by a steel springjoined by acord or wire to the dog that is connected with that lever,the cord or wire passing down from the dog through a hole in the forwardpart of the middle bottom piece, to the end of the spring. There is onespring for each dog, fastened firmly at one end to the under side of themiddle bottom piece at the middle, while the other end,

sufficient strength, suddenly to bring back the levers when they havepassed the pins of the tooth wheel. They may be seen at 8, 8, and thecords at 9, 9, pl. 2.

In order to prepare the shingle block for cutting with this machine, letthe block be seamed as in the ordinary machine for cutting shingles.

Vhat I claim as my invention and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

The combination of the lever, stirrup and foot, tooth wheel, metalliclevers and upper and lower carriages for the purpose of feeding themachine in the manner described. The construction of these parts or thecombination of the screw wheels and racks, the tooth wheel and foot, orof any other parts separately, is not claimed.

A. H. HART.

Witnesses:

L. D. WILLIAMS,

SEVENUS BURNET.

